By Thomas A. Parmalee
When Eddie Steelman, the owner of Smart Technologies of Florida, started working with a large deathcare provider in 2023, it quickly became apparent to him that the profession had been neglected in terms of the technology surrounding the input and output of documents.
At the same time, he also saw that physical paper was not going to be abandoned by the deathcare profession anytime soon.
“I saw the need for it to still be a part of a go-to market strategy because of the human connection required when meeting with at-need families,” he said. “It’s one of the most intimate and empathetic transactions that takes place, and it just seems less connecting bringing screens into that engagement, so I love to support the folks who support these families.”
With that said, he sees the profession as ripe for innovation, as many deathcare professionals desperately need better tools to serve families at a higher level. “But they are also dealing with contracts and paperwork that have been sitting in files for decades,” he said. “I want to help make that digital transition easy and ensure the families being served are always being given accurate information.”
Ultimately, Steelman saved the large deathcare provider that he’s working with more than 50% of its annual hard printing costs. “The savings in efficiency is probably higher, but in just reduced spending, they saved close to $1 million annually,” he said.
FuneralVision.com recently caught up with Steelman to learn more about his firm, which provides office equipment, phone systems and IT infrastructure, how his services can save firms money and why he’s so passionate about serving the deathcare profession.
How did you end up owning Smart Technologies of Florida?
I started on the ground floor in this business. My first day I was a day laborer brought on to drive the delivery truck. From there I worked my way into every aspect of the business. I dedicated myself and studied every aspect and two years later I became the owner of that same company.
What inspired you to focus on providing technology solutions to deathcare professionals?
I owe my success to my curiosity, and I have always tried to understand my clients and the problems they face.
With that approach I have found that traditional industries – especially deathcare – have been underserved. The main culprit in my opinion is complacency. On the copier side of the business, dealers and manufacturers alike have just grown accustomed to putting equipment out, letting those devices consume toner through page volume, rinse, and repeat when the contracts expire.
It’s been going on for so long, even the clients have accepted it as the way things are, so the conversations about the actual problems never take place – and we get left with the status quo. When I dig in with an analytical and process-driven approach, I bring unspoken frustrations to the surface – oftentimes ones that the client has not recognized.
Then with my team’s expertise, I am not only able to diagnose the problem but use technology to provide the solutions.
Do you also work with cemeteries? How do their needs typically differ from funeral homes, if applicable.
Absolutely, I work with cemeteries.
I would say the needs from the standpoint of what I do are not that different – it’s just the proportion of the product mix that is different. Plot/lot cards is one example that is unique and is a big point in terms of digital transformation that I tackle with them that I don’t see in funeral homes.
You are a partner of Ricoh, which is a global technology company best known for its multifunction copiers and printers. Is it a productive partnership for you?
There are many reasons why I believe Ricoh is my most valuable business partnership. First, they consistently produce the best products. There is a strong case for many other manufacturers in my space, but Ricoh is consistently No. 1 or No. 2 in every category on the product side.
Having a solid product is only part of the battle though. They have a strategic vision that aligns with the way I see the market. Print has been in decline for 20+ years, so if my partner and I are not focused on the big picture and problems our end user clients face, we are partnering in a slow death.
In recent years, Ricoh has made some great investments through acquisitions. The first was a content management platform I have been an authorized partner of for 10 years called DocuWare, which as the name indicates, focuses on the documents that are the driving force behind all business processes and not so much the paper. Having that world-class solution as part of their portfolio drives conversations into workflow and automation of the business processes that clients face regardless of industry or whether they deal in paper or digital.
The second big acquisition was the scanner division of Fujitsu. Fujitsu was number 1 in desktop scanner market share, and they have for decades produced the best-in-class devices and solutions around the capture of paper documents. This focus on the input, which has increased while print volumes have been decreasing, points out again that our vision of focus on customer needs and helping them solve the problems they face are aligned.
They have also recently launched the first real exclusive technology I have seen in this industry by combining the Fujitsu technology with the Ricoh copier technology. They have reengineered the copier with their new SD series and essentially included a $5,000 high volume desktop scanner with a straight paper path and lots of document enhancing software into their already best-in-class printer. It is the only one of its kind in the industry.
Smart Technologies of Florida offers business process automation — how can this specifically help funeral homes streamline operations?
Imagine scanning a file, document, or stack of documents and all the pertinent information that is contained is automatically lifted out and input to where it needs to reside without manual intervention. Further imagine having that in place with all the paper files searchable, findable and at the fingertips of your staff. Lastly, imagine a flood, fire, or some other natural disaster that destroys paper files – it doesn’t have to be like that.
Can you explain how managed IT services can support funeral homes, particularly as it relates to data security and continuity?
Independent operations are carrying so much risk they are just not aware of – and on top of that, they are often inefficient and causing staff frustration. We carry our own ISO27001 certification and simplify everything for the end users and secure everything for the business owner. If the employee count is 15-80, they are likely already paying for our services through mismanagement of tech, licensing, and inefficiency but getting none of the benefits while carrying more risk than they would ever carry if they knew. When IT is managed, it becomes a strategic advantage to an operator – not an expense.
In what ways can mobile integration and cloud services improve responsiveness for funeral directors and staff?
It will help them attract the next generation, as outdated systems and no cloud or mobile will seem foreign and be taken as a sign of a business that’s struggling. Further, having those systems in place will empower staff and help everyone do more with less.
Can you assist organizations as they seek to train staff on new technology systems?
Absolutely!
This is one of my biggest differentiators. My team creates digital how-to guides for everything, and since we know almost nobody is going to take the time to read through them, we also create customized how-to videos.
Everything we do is with the end users in mind because if we don’t do that the solution will get bypassed and nobody wins. I have two mottos for this: If you confuse them, you lose them. It’s win-win, or no deal.
What technology trends do you see emerging that could reshape how funeral homes and cemeteries operate?
Cloud infrastructure in every aspect of the tech landscape – from print to operations and the need to transition the paper archives into those systems accurately and cost effectively.
For a deathcare business just beginning to invest in technology, what first steps would you recommend?
When dealing with anything you are not sure about, it is vital to seek trusted counsel. Someone who understands your challenges and will give you advice that is in your best interest. Everyone can relate to having car problems and not knowing if you are being told what makes the mechanic money or what keeps you safely on the road. That logic applies to technology, too.
Learn more about Smart Technologies of Florida.
